Here’s 16 Minutes of Middle Earth: Shadow of War Gameplay

After the game was officially announced last week, we’ve finally got our hands on a huge chunk of Middle Earth: Shadow of War gameplay footage.

Centering around the taking of enemy stronghold Seregost by returning protagonist Talion’s army, the video gives us a fairly deep look at the upgrades made to the series’ famed “nemesis system.” The most notable shift is the additional focus put on the player’s allies, who can either betray you to become said nemeses, or save you in the heat of battle. For example, the first named, unique enemy Talion faces in the demo was once the player’s ally before he was left behind in a failed mission and turned to serve Sauron. During the battle, when that nemesis cheats his initial death and backs Talion into a corner, another ally (who is a spy within the enemy’s ranks, no less) heroically rescues Talion with his crossbow.

The video has a few more surprise examples of the game’s improved systemic interaction, a look at new combat and traversal mechanics (flying on a drake, anyone?) and hints at a larger, more complex open world.

Go ahead and check out the newly revealed gameplay above, then check out last week’s cinematic announcement trailer here. Be sure to stay tuned to Paste for more updates before Middle Earth: Shadow of War hits Xbox One, PS4 and PC on Aug. 22 in the U.S. and on Aug. 25 in the EU.